The death of Tom McKay will leave a hole in the city of Lowell that will be tough to fill, if it ever is.

McKay was a unique and special guy who literally was upbeat every time you’d bump into him.

The last few years, he dealt with his share of health issues, but he always seemed to come through with a smile on his face and a good word.

I first met Tommy when Iwas a sportswriter at The Sun and covered road races. This was back in the day when there was a road race every weekend in the city, and hundreds turned out.

Tommy owned Hynes’ Tavern back then, and the Hynes’ Irish Feet Are Runnin’ Road Race was always the season opener, held in March, right around St. Patrick’s Day. He had been a friend of my father, and through the years of covering the race, I’d like to think he considered me a friend, as well.

Tom later went on, of course, to run Lowell Memorial Auditorium with Terry McCarthy and Leo Creegan. “The Three Amigos,” as they were called, brought a level of success and professionalism to the auditorium and put the place on the map.

One night, a couple years before my father died in 2007, one of his idols, George Jones, played the auditorium. My brother and I bought tickets for us and Dad, and I had the idea that it would be kind of neat if Dad could meet the country-music legend. I called Tom, and he said no problem. Sure enough, before the show, the three of us got to meet Mr. Jones. My father shook his hand and told him how he had seen him back in the ’50s when he was in the service.

Honestly, it was one of the highlights of the last years of my father’s life, and Tom McKay was to thank.

He was a great guy, and he’ll be missed. And the city is worseoff for his passing.

The portrait of Patrick Murphy that the former mayor would like to see hang in the hallowed halls of City Hall is fitting, when you think about it. It shows him walking away. Which is what he did. The picture is actually a nice family portrait. It shows Murphy and his wife and young child walking hand-in-hand through a leaf-strewn walkway. It’s downright cute. It’s just not mayoral. Which, again, is appropriate because neither was Murphy. I don’t imagine anyone — even his greatest fan — really thinks the portrait is appropriate to hang in City Hall with the distinguished portraits of other past mayors. Oh, sure, his supporters won’t admit it. Everything the guy did as mayor — from taking the bust of Pericles out for a pint to thumbing his nose at mayoral tradition at every turn — was A-OK with his fans. But they know it’s not a proper portrait. It is a fitting portrait, though. The mayor-who-never-should-have-been-mayor turned his back on his councilors long ago. He may as well turn his back on the rest of the city.

Lowell’s new anti-panhandling ordinance — designed to dissuade people from approaching other folks and asking for

money in the downtown historic district by fining them $50 — begs more questions than it answers.

For instance, what makes the downtown any more important than any other neighborhood in the city?

And how is a panhandler supposed to come up with $50 to pay a fine, other than by going out and begging some more?

And how about this one: Don’t the police have better things to do?

I spend a good amount of time in the downtown historic district doing all sorts of historic downtown things, mostly at night, and I am rarely, if ever, beset by someone asking for money.

I also use the Plain Street exit inbound on the Lowell Connector a lot, and there are often two aggressive panhandlers who tag-team folks who are stuck in their cars at the red light. Motorists are almost held captive by these two guys, who come right up to your window asking for money.

Is the Lower Highlands section of the city any less important than the downtown historic district?

I certainly understand that the downtown is an integral part of the city and that people don’t want to be aggressively hustled for change as they traverse the downtown circuit.

But a guy who politely asks for a buck as you’re walking by trying to look invisible? He’s harmless. No, he’s not exactly what the folks at the Chamber of Commerce want to see. But let’s not forget that Lowell is a city, and with cities come folks begging for money.

The panhandler ordinance originated with Councilor Marty Lorrey, the same Councilor Marty Lorrey who pushed to get rid of the homeless camps along the river. (And the same one who did not get re-elected last week. Can the homeless vote?)

Again, homeless camps are not No. 1 on the list of amenities the city’s marketing gurus push, and it would, indeed, be a better world if the homeless were pushed out of camps and into proper housing. About that proper housing. Where is it again?

And now we’re going to start arresting these folks because they need a buck or two? Have you heard there’s a shooting every other day in this city?

That a way, Lowell. Fine a guy 50 bucks when he’s just looking for 50 cents for a coffee or a pint of whiskey or, of course, the obligatory “train back to Boston.”

I was approached outside Dunkin’ Donuts at Fletcher and Dutton streets the other night by a guy who needed money “for the train.” (Really, these guys have to come up with a better come-on line.) After I gave him some change, another guy came from the side of the building and said, “What’d he give ya?” Gee, I hope they both got back to Boston all right. They should have taken the approach that a gentleman took with me on a trip to San Francisco earlier this year. The guy quite openly and honestly asked me for money so he could buy booze. I gave him two bucks. Honesty is the best panhandling policy.

I’m not sure, however, that Lowell’s panhandling policy is the best policy. The ordinance does, of course, exempt people asking for money for charitable organizations because, you know, they’re usually dressed properly and don’t smell too bad.

The new ordinance bans all panhandlers — not just the overly aggressive ones, but also the guys who politely ask passers-by for a spare dime.

And that seems overly aggressive to me.

Dan Phelps’ email address is dphelps@lowellsun.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @PhelpsSun. Also, follow his blog, Phelps RePhlections, at lowellsun.com.

There’s a new destination in Lowell for those who love their music coming from a round plastic platter spinning under a needle.
If you’re like me (namely, old), you still have your old albums that you grew up with, and you still have a turntable on which to play them. Sure, you’ve kept up with the times and gotten a lot of those same albums on CD so you can hear them in your car.
But vinyl is making a comeback. And there is a new destination in the city for your vinyl needs.
Vinyl Destination is a welcome addition to Mill No. 5 on Jackson Street. (And not just because I named the place, he said modestly).
Former Sun scribe and current vinyl junkie Dave Perry and his son, Dan, have opened a new spot in Mill No. 5 where you can get vinyl for as cheap as a buck (I saw Billy Joel’s 52nd Street in the buck bin) or as expensive as $400 (some Dave Matthews Band piece of dung that Dave insists some DMB fanboy will buy).
On my first of many visits, I picked up a rarish copy of Alex Chilton’s Free Again: The 1970 Sessions, recorded when he was between The Box Tops and the vastly underappreciated Big Star and about, oh, when he was about 19 years old. Stellar. I also picked up a copy of Bowie’s 1972 classic

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which should be in every vinyl lover’s collection.
Mill No. 5 is largely empty, but when it’s full, it will be beautiful. There is a theater and at least one restaurant in the works, as well as many smaller shops, like Vinyl Destination.
If you love vinyl, go.
And as an aside, if you — like me — are a Lowell long-timer and haven’t witnessed the work being done in the Jackson-Appleton-Middlesex area, other than driving by, do so. Now.
What they have done with the buildings is phenomenal. Walking around while looking for my (vinyl) destination, I was amazed and actually forgot I was in Lowell for a split second. Until I saw the homeless dudes. Baby steps.

Instead of all the hand-wringing over the low turnout for Lowell’s preliminary City Council election Tuesday, let’s look at the root cause: It was a colossal waste of time, money and energy.

The way Lowell’s charter is written, if there are more than 18 candidates for City Council, there must be a preliminary election, unless the city gets a waiver from the state Legislature.

The last couple of times the number surpassed 18, it was by minuscule amounts, and the City Council rightly sought waivers through the Legislature. But the last time it happened, the Legislature — indeed, Lowell’s own delegation — puts its foot down and said this is the last time. No more. Either adhere to your charter or change it.

This year, 22 candidates turned in papers for council, and thus a preliminary election was held Tuesday to cut four from the field and get it down to the requisite 18 for the general election in November.

So about 12 percent of the city’s registered voters showed up, and now we’re searching for reasons. Apathy? Sure, there’s that. Lack of interesting candidates? Not sure about that one. The city’s demographics? No.

Folks, it’s easy. The preliminary election was stupid. An election to cut a field from 22 to 18? It’s meaningless.

Let’s put some serious thought into either getting rid of the over-18 rule or at least raising the bar.

Otherwise, every two years, we’re going to have an unnecessary preliminary election.

For the life of me I can’t figure out what the big fuss is about a slots parlor possibly coming to the area.
Some folks in Tewksbury are up in arms that Penn National Gaming wants to put an upscale slot-machine facility in Tewksbury, behind Longhorn Steakhouse and very close to Interstates 495 and 93. As sites go, that’s a pretty good one.
So what’s the problem?
Folks in Tewksbury — and also Leominster, where The Cordish Companies wants to put a slots parlor — drag out the old chestnuts: crime and traffic.
Crime? Do these folks realize the vast majority of people playing slots in any casino carry an average age of about 75 — not to mention most of them are on oxygen.
This isn’t high-stakes poker here, people. It’s not craps or roulette or blackjack. Heck, it’s not even Let It Ride. It’s slots. It’s older folks trying to kill time.
Crime is a straw argument. I have been to both Connecticut casinos many times — of course, what Massachusetts resident hasn’t? — and have never seen a crime committed (except the theft of my money by blackjack dealers).
And traffic? Wow, really? Traffic? Traffic means business, and business means bucks coming into Tewksbury.
It’s like Billerica residents being against Home Depot at the Billerica “Mall” a few years back. No, we wouldn’t want actual people coming to a desolate, vacant patch of ground smack-dab in the middle of town.
Of course, Tewksbury officials only see the dollar signs. And, really, that’s all there is to see here, folks.
A slots parlor would be a boon to Tewksbury.

When it comes to beer, the most “adventurous” I get is Stella Artois and Anchor Steam. I’m not a big drinker of the heavier and darker beers.

That being said, my son, Andy, who writes the beer blog Original Gravity at lowellsun.com, took me to a beer dinner at Centro in downtown Lowell for Father’s Day, and I have to say, it was a blast.

Not only did we have a fantastic meal, I also got to open up my taste buds a bit to some beers by Slumbrew, a Somerville mom-and-pop brewing company. (Literally. Caitlin and Jeff brought their 2-year-old and infant sons with them to Centro. Hey, it was Father’s Day.)

Centro GM Matt Perez was an awesome host, explaining why and how the beers were selected as pairings for the different courses.

Which brings us to the dinner itself.

We started with Smoked Chicken Skewers, paired with Happy Porter, which is a combination (there is probably a better beer word for that) of Slumbrew’s Happy Sol and Porter Square Porter.

The main course was Braised Baby Back Ribs (the meat literally fell off the bone and into your mouth) and Truffle Fries, paired with the Porter Square Porter.

The finale was a triumph, indeed — a Candied Bacon Butter Crunch Ice Cream Sundae, p aired with a cream ale called My Better Half that actually tasted like caramel.

The food was unbelievably good. Compliments to the chefs. And the beer? Well, let’s say I have a better appreciation of craft brews. I’m not giving up my Bud any time soon, but I did like what Slumbrew had to offer.

To read a more in-depth review of the event, see my son’s blog, Original Gravity, at lowellsun.com. I’m sure he’ll have it up there soon. He also has a review of Slumbrew’s Lobstah Killah up, so check that out, too. (Spoiler alert: He likes it.)

All in all, my first beer dinner was a smashing success. Thanks, Centro and Slumbrew. A good pairing, indeed.

I’ve laid off these new-fangled parking kiosks Lowell has put in the downtown area over the last few years. I figured I’d give them a chance, see if they grew on me.
They haven’t.
I’m not sure what the purpose of these kiosks is (other than, of course, to bring in even more revenue to the city on the backs of those who come in for a visit or work there).
They’re inconvenient — instead of placing coins into a meter right next to your car, you have to remember the number of the space you’re in, walk to the kiosk, walk back to your parking space after you forget the number of the space you’re in, then walk back to the kiosk.
Another inconvenience is that you have to have coins or else use a credit/debit card. No bills. What’s up with that? I usually have more ones in my pocket than a stripper, but I can’t use them to park in downtown Lowell?
The kiosks are also a rip-off. You have to put a minimum of 25 cents in and that gets you 15 minutes. But what if I want to run into a store for a candy bar and soda? Thirty seconds, tops. And it costs a quarter to park?
I know, I know, it’s just a quarter. But if I only want to park for a nickel’s worth of time, I’d rather keep the 20 cents in my pocket than put it in the city’s, thanks.
The other day, I had to go to the Registry on Middlesex Street. Got there at 8:50 for a 9:00 opening. (Helpful hint: If you’re thinking, well, if I get there before it even opens, I’ll be out in no time, think again. The line waiting for the place to open was like the queue for Springsteen tickets back in the day. Got out of there at 10:20.)

And there’s a two-hour limit, which I just can’t understand. Thanks for coming in to downtown Lowell to shop and have a bite. But don’t stay longer than two hours.
Anyway, parked in the garage under the building, remembered my space number, walked to the parking kiosk, forgot my space number, walked back to my car, walked back to the kiosk, found out that the credit-card function wasn’t working, then found out I only had a couple dimes, a nickel and about 72 pennies. I threw in 25 cents, said a prayer and went about my business.
The prayer worked. No ticket.
Still not sold on the kiosks, though.

A year back, there was an outcry about drunken thugs roaming the streets of downtown Lowell, beating people up, urinating on anything that didn’t move (and some things that did), and just generally wreaking havoc.
Lowell’s License Commission, which holds sway over such matters, toughened up and buckled down. These days, the problems seem to have gone away. One of the recidivistic clubs has since closed, and others where problems were rampant seem to have gotten a hold on their clientele.
Now, the License Commission has proposed strict new rules on bars, including one particular proposal — ending entertainment 45 minutes before closing — that would harm many clubs that have had little or no problems in the past.
Some taverns in downtown Lowell, such as the Old Court, have entertainment on weekend nights in the main bar, but also at private parties upstairs or in closed-off areas.
Other clubs, like the Back Page (shhh, it’s Lowell’s best-kept secret) have entertainment every night they’re open. Having these establishments, where music if the No. 1 attraction and trouble is rare if not nonexistent, stop the entertainment 45 minutes before closing would be punishing those who do not deserve punishment.
After an informal assessment based on several nights of observation (and that was just one weekend), I have determined that the average age at the Back Page is about 40. This is not a college crowd, folks. It’s people who like to enjoy some excellent blues bands from across the Greater Boston region while enjoying a cocktail or two.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to petition the License Commission to remove several proposals, including the entertainment one, from the new rules.
The three members of the License Commission would be wise to take the council’s vote into consideration. The city should be punishing those establishments that need to be punished while allowing those that provide a fun night out with little chance of trouble to continue doing so.

Should the Lowell License Commission target all bars in Lowell with its rules, or just the establishments that have been the scene of trouble in the past?

In case you didn’t know/care, starting Friday, March 1, $85 billion in automatic spending cuts will take effect.

Folks, we’ve been badgering the people who run this country for decades to make some cuts to the nation’s bloated budget. So, come March 1, we’ll get some cuts. Of course, while there is plenty of pork to cut (the $85 billion on the line is less than 1 percent of the country’s Gross National Product), our fearless leaders have targeted areas to cut that will hit us where it, supposedly, will hurt — the military, education, health care — not the cuts that could be done without anyone losing sleep.

To avoid the fiscal cliff, the president got $600 billion in additional taxes over 10 years. Surely, we can cut $85 billion.

The ongoing battle between the president and Congress will not go away with the sequester. Heck, it’s just beginning. We’ve already learned the terms “fiscal cliff” and “sequester.” There are undoubtedly plenty of new terms to come.

Yes, neither the president nor Congress is looking good these days. What say we just sequester the whole lot of them?